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Macedonia Fighting Spreads
TETOVO, Macedonia, March 22 (News Agencies) - Macedonian forces renewed their onslaught against defiant Albanian separatists Thursday after a brief ceasefire, as the government received fresh EU backing and put the campaign firmly in the hands of its army commanders.
But as fighting also flared up away from the Tetovo front, government spokesman Antonio Milososki said the struggle against the insurrection in the northwest would be "uncompromising."
The gunmen in the hills above Tetovo came under heavy fire early Thursday after failing to use a government-imposed 24-hour respite to meet with Skopje's demands to surrender or withdraw.
Instead, the separatists - who had announced their own ceasefire just before the government truce ran out, and called for talks on Albanians' rights - appeared to be making good on threats to intensify the conflict.
Two men pulled up in front of a sandbagged police position near Tetovo stadium in an attempted grenade attack which ended when police gunned the two men down, killing them both.
In a separate attack about a dozen kilometers (nine miles) west of Skopje, private television A1 reported that another police officer was seriously injured in a shooting blamed on the separatists.
One of two policemen shot in a Skopje market Wednesday was reported to have died of his injuries.
The scattered attacks could mark a shift of separatist tactics away from their offensive on the edge Tetovo, which has been deadlocked for nine days and appeared to be swinging in the government's favor after the army deployed tanks and cannon to back up special police units.
Milososki insisted the series of clashes Thursday were a "clear response to our ultimatum" to the separatists to down their arms by midnight (2300 GMT) Wednesday.
"From now on our response will be clear and every action by the security forces will depend only on the decisions of our field commanders," Milososki said.
"The fight against terrorism will be uncompromising," he insisted, warning that the separatists "have been preparing another attack" on the security forces.
Interior ministry spokesman Stevo Pendarovski said a rebel mortar injured another policeman early Thursday near the Koosvo border.
"What is more worrying is that the extremists were reinforced with at least 50 people and continue shooting artillery weapons at the police," he said.
The National Liberation Army (NLA) says it is fighting for Albanian rights. Some separatist leaders have called for talks with the authorities, who have steadfastly refused.
The government, in power for less than two years, insists it had already started working to improve Albanians' rights before the armed conflict started. The coalition includes a key Albanian party.
As the brief truce ended, top EU officials flew into Skopje to lend their support to Skopje in the conflict, which the international community fears could shatter Macedonia's multi-ethnic society in a civil war.
The EU delegation - led by Swedish Foreign Minster Anna Lindh and EU foreign affairs supremo Javier Solana - met Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski and Foreign Minister Srdjan Kerim to reaffirm the EU's support for the government.
Lindh, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, said the EU stood by Macedonia "both politically and economically."
Chris Patten, European Commissioner for external affairs, also warned that Kosovo, which Skopje blames for exporting its ethnic violence, could risk key aid if its Albanian leaders there fail to sufficiently condemn the uprising.
Several thousand Kosovo students demonstrated in support of the separatists in Pristina late Wednesday.
Solana, who earlier this week gave Skopje the nod to bring the army into the fray, said: "I think that the situation is getting better."
The delegation also met with political leaders of Macedonia's large Albanian minority, Arben Xhaferi and Imer Imeri, who have stood by the government.
Skopje has ruled out negotiations with the "terrorists," accusing them of trying to carve up the country to create a "Greater Albania" based around Kosovo, whose population is more than 90% Albanian.
The separatists are increasingly isolated as the international community steps up its condemnation and NATO boosts efforts to stop supplies reaching them from U.N.-run Kosovo province across the northern border.
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